[Simulation of the branch biomass for Chinese fir plantation using the linear mixed effects model].

Based on data obtained from 572 branches of 45 Chinese fir trees in Jiangle Forest Farm, Fujian Province, southeast China, prediction models for branch, foliage biomass and total branch and foliage biomass of individual tree were developed by linear mixed effects (LME) method, and tested by independent samples. The results showed that the LME models provided better performance than the multiple linear regression models for the branch, foliage and total biomass prediction of Chinese fir plantation. The LME models with different combinations of the random effects parameters had different fitting precisions.